Shine On: Tropical Container in a Hamptons Garden

Posted by hpotterblog on March 9th, 2012in Container Garden, Dianne Benson, Garden Planters, Gardening Products | No Comments

From left to right: Dwarf Colocasia affinis 'Jenningsii', blue-leaved Melianthus 'Honey Flower', Alocasia 'Hilo Beauty', Hibiscus tilaceus 'Tricolor'. All exotics from Landcraft Environments, Mattituck, NY. In the ground: Xanthosoma albomarginata; dried allium - Allium oreophilum 'Agalik Giant' (from Odyssey Bulbs).

What makes a garden shine?  

As the climate is changing right before our very eyes, and stymieing our senses with its brutality and extremes, the bloom time is fleeting and lacks its good old stamina.

Here one minute and gone the next: so how to make our garden shine without the dependability of our wildest garden schemes…or even our most well-thought-out ones?

Introducing elements that are not dependent on Mother Nature seems to be the way to go.             
Gazing balls are OK but perhaps too much a conceit for me.              

That old deception of Garden Mirrors can be effective and one seems always so surprised and pleased to come upon it (especially when it is reflecting back your own unexpected image) ; but it is – after all – a trick, and though it is great at lighting up a dead-end situation — it doesn’t really shine.            
The reflection from a pond or a pool and the sparkle of a birdbath are other ways to bring shine to the garden too; but I have just added something totally unexpected — A Shapely and Large Copper Urn.            
I’ve plunked it down right in the middle of the Mysterious Tree Bed where the tulips were, the allium remain (though dried and lifeless), the lilies have come and gone, and boy — does it look great.           
There’s something about the copper being the just-right metal to pick up the wonderful mélange of color created by the surrounding trees.           
It reflects the greeny-whites of the Aralia elata above and the variegated Heptacodium below…the red tinges of Landcraft’s superb Hibiscus tilaceus ‘Tricolor’, as well as the surrounding glow of several Japanese maples: lion’s-headed, palmated (full moon, that is) and variegated.           
Other metals that don’t rust or tarnish are either too precious (even Gold Plate would be out of the question) or are, and should be, reserved for garden tools: two of the Ten Garden Greats at DianneBBest.com are the essential stainless steel trowel and the high-gauge stainless monogrammed hand-made shovel.           
Copper has such a significant presence in art and architecture because it is so compelling and variable —its beautiful red-brown sheen eventually oxidizing into a like-no-other-color turquoise/blue/green patina — makes it doubly perfect for the changing nature of the garden.           
East Hampton, New York           
14 August 2010           
Watch a new video of this copper urn.

Iron Trellises Worthy of Passion Vines

Posted by hpotterblog on February 14th, 2012in Dianne Benson, Gardening Products, Trellis | No Comments

By Dianne Benson, author of Dirt: The Lowdown on Growing a Garden with Style

I have not yet met any single plant — let alone a vine — that is as awe-inspiring and heart-stopping as a passion vine (Passiflora).

Passiflora passion and trellises

If I had the pleasure of living in a climate hospitable to growing these exquisite creatures in the ground — I would have many more varieties than the four I now proudly boast.

But my four are just heaven…as they should be, given their highly graphic, if not religious significance (stamens are the Holy Trinity, corolla the Crown of Thorns, and so on).

One oversized, mauvey, multi-colored beauty resides in a biggish terracotta pot and grows at the sunniest end of the grape arbor on a rather graceless piece of lumber

The frilliest passion flower has the terrible job of scrambling over a deer fence which is impossible to beautify

But it is the remaining two passion vines that are much happier because they are growing — as they should be — on handsome trellises. As this emblematic, exotic plant sends out amazing curlicue tendrils (another Passion of Christ reference), its ability to climb on and arrange itself around a trellis is unsurpassed.

A trellis is better than a lattice or a fence

The framework of a trellis can be fanciful or straightforward, right-angled or tripartite, pillared or domed, intricate or simpl

The very best selection I can find is here at H. Potter where they have all of the above and more — there is one trellis with hanging bells that seems exceptionally delightful — style and garden sounds at the same time.

Made of strong iron, they are coated with a special finish that is not brown or green or gray, but a totally neutral color that fits perfectly into the garden palette — even when it is brand new and before it is covered with passion or any other vines.

The one pictured is the Leaf Trellis; the next that I have my heart set on are the Pillar Trellis or the Onion Dome.  You will be thrilled when you see what a difference they make in your own garden.  And what’s even better — some designs are now available at a sale price…treat yourself….

East Hampton, New York

19 September 2010

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Vacation? Hire Terrariums as Plantsitters for Your Houseplants

Posted by hpotterblog on January 20th, 2012in Cloche, Gardening Products, Terrarium, Tovah Martin, Wardian case | No Comments

By Tovah Martin, author of The New Terrarium

Terrariums make great resort hotels for your houseplants.

Terrariums as plantsitters

So, you’re headed off on vacation.

The suitcases are packed, your neighbors are all lined up to fetch newspapers, and the retriever is headed for doggie camp.

But what about your houseplants? Let’s face it – when it comes to plant duty, most housesitters fizzle, fry or forget.

Try terrariums when your houseplants are home alone

By clustering your plants inside terrariums placed in indirect light (that’s the critical part), you can give them a generous drink before leaving and then they’ll be on autopilot for a week or more while you’re away.

No sweat, no worries, no frantic phone calls to your brother-in-law describing where the house key is hidden. For many plants, terrariums do the trick.

Terrariums aren’t the solution for every houseplant

Cacti and succulents don’t really like the moist/shady conditions within terrariums. But then again, most cacti and succulents survive beautifully solo for a week or two without water if you pull them away from baking sun.

With that exception, most houseplants that normally prefer sun will tolerate a week or so with lower light conditions. And terrariums will keep your houseplants slightly moist so you can skip the five-page, single-spaced instructions delineating the care and watering of each plant on your windowsill.

How to set up terrariums as plantsitters

Make sure your houseplants are potted in sufficiently large containers.  Terrariums work best as plantsitters if the roots aren’t cramped.

Water your plants before leaving.

Find a place in your house with indirect light (monitor the light throughout the day).

Gather individual large glass apothecary jars, cloches (aka bell jars) or obtain one big Wardian Case.

If you use cloches, find a tray or individual plates or saucers to place beneath the plants. This will prevent the condensation from wetting the floor. In fact, a tray under apothecary jars, etc isn’t a bad idea – the glass may sweat.

Place your plants (in their containers – no need to plant them directly in the terrariums) inside the jars or Wardian Case and cover it. If the plants normally prefer slightly dry conditions, crack the lid slightly to ventilate. Don’t crowd – one plant per terrarium is best.

Enjoy your vacation knowing that your plants will be fine while you’re having fun.

If you plan to be away over a longer haul, other alternatives might be necessary. But for a brief getaway, terrariums are the way to go.

Watch a new video about a favorite H. Potter terrarium.

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Terrariums with Heart

Posted by admin on August 19th, 2011in Cloche, Garden Gifts, Terrarium, Tovah Martin, Wardian case | 1 Comment

You said it with flowers (and they wilted the next week).

You said it with chocolates (and all she did was gain weight).

Now it’s time to find a more lasting way to express the fires of your passion for that special someone. How about expressing all that he/she means to you in a terrarium?

Romantic mementoes for a terrarium

That’s right, collect all your happiest memories –

• the ticket stubs to the concert where you met

• a few pine cones from the hike you took together

• the ribbons from the gift she gave you

• a golf ball from the time you tried to teach her to swing

• a page of sheet music with your favorite song

and all the other bits and pieces that make up your romance.

You might even have a snapshot or two from a picnic or prom. Or the jewelry box that the engagement ring came in.

Maybe you could tuck in a pair of binoculars from the whale-watching cruise (the one when she didn’t get seasick) or the paperback she read when you went camping (and it rained nonstop).

And how about all the belated greeting cards you’ve laid by the kitchen table the morning after her birthday. Take those components and arrange them under glass.

A terrarium portrait of romance

Make a mini scene dedicated to the two of you. Access your inner artist, combine shapes, textures, and colors. Let them work off one another.

Lay them in a bed of sheet moss. Let them tell the story. You could even present them as a progression starting with a memento from your first date and moving up to the wine glass from your wedding.

Now that’s the sort of gift that is going to make his/her eyes mist over. Guaranteed.

But that’s not the end for your terrarium tableau.

Baby makes three in a terrarium

Assuming your little crystal love castle worked its magic better than you ever hoped or dreamed, now you’ve got Junior.

And those baby years slip away in a blink, so collect the little toddler shoes your mother knitted and the pacifier that brought you a few hours of blessed sleep.

Put in the blue ribbon from the 4-H exhibit and the gold star from the first correctly spelled homework assignment.

Carpet it with sheet moss to make it look like a baseball diamond, spread gravel to mark the bases and bingo – you’ve captured a snippet from Junior’s first years.

Sentimental journey with a group of terrariums

And don’t stop at one terrarium. The beauty of glass is it displays particularly well in groupings. So you could do the story of your life in several chapters all displayed in a cluster of different shapes.

Let it summarize your family, including the pets. Even framed (or unframed) portraits add another layer of meaning under glass. These can be like shadow boxes with more dimension – sort of surround-sound versions of a scrapbook.

The point is, terrariums are not just about housing plants. They can hold a snapshot from your life. They can be mementoes from a lifetime.

Plus, your dusting duties are vastly diminished.